Online Safety

Our pupils are growing up in a world of ever-changing technology. While we feel that the use of technology is a largely positive aspect of modern life, we cannot ignore the risks that can be associated.

Throughout school we aim to teach children:

  • about the impact of cyber-bullying and what to do if they have been affected.
  • to be vigilant when communicating online recognising that people may not always be who they say they are and to be sensible about what they share.
  • to tell an adult they trust if something is upsetting them.
  • to question the reliability of information given through a web based source.
  • to search responsibly for information while using internet browsers.

We understand that much of our pupil’s use of the internet will occur at home, away from the school filters.

Below are a list of useful websites, advice and resources that you may find helpful when navigating the issue of online safety with your child. At the bottom of this page are resources that your child can directly access as well to help them learn about online safety.

Useful resources and links

Thinkuknow http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Thinkuknow is an education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command. Since 2006, it aims to ensure that everyone has access to this practical information – children, young people, their parents and carers and the professionals who work with them. 

Internet Matters https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/esafety-leaflets-resources/
A comprehensive web resource with a wide array of tips and advice on how to navigate the online world with your child. Some of their guidance we attach below but you can find even more by visiting the link. 

National Online Safety https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides/
National Online Safety’s mission is to make the internet a safer place for children. They aim to do this by equipping school staff, parents and children with the knowledge they need to understand online dangers and how best to react should an incident arise. The link above provides up to date information about a wide variety of social media apps and platforms your child might be using.

NSPCC http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/
The NSPCC are the first to admit that the internet is amazing. Children can play, learn, create and connect – opening up a whole world of exciting possibilities. But with the digital world changing all the time, how can you make sure your child’s staying safe? That’s where the NSPCC come in. Whether you’re an online expert or you’re not sure where to start, their tools and advice will help you keep your child safe.

Childnet http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers
Childnet International is a registered UK charity that aims to make the internet a safe place for children and young people. Packed with resources it is a great resource for parents.

CEOP http://ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) is part of the National Crime Agency and their website can be used to report if you are worried about online abuse or the way someone is communicating online.

BBC  https://www.bbc.com/ownit
The BBC have a website and app called Own It. The website has a lot of content for children to help them navigate their online lives, and the free smartphone app comes with a special keyboard which can intervene with help and support in the moments that children need it the most.

SafetoNet https://safetonet.com/
SafeToNet is technology that educates children “in-the-moment” as they use their device. It is a safeguarding assistant that helps them become responsible and safe digital citizens. Its power lies in a smart keyboard that detects risks in real-time. It steers children away from trouble by filtering harmful outgoing messages before they can be sent and any damage can be done.


A guide to Apps & Social Media

The number of apps and social media channels your child could be exposed to grow all the time, as does an app’s functionality. We recommend you visit Net Aware to read the latest and most current advice on over 70 apps to ensure you know what they do, how you can limit their features as well as recommended age restrictions.

https://www.net-aware.org.uk/

The apps included are:

  • Fortnite
  • Instagram
  • Snapchat
  • YouTube
  • Minecraft
  • Clash of Clans & Clash Royale
  • Kik
  • Friv
  • Dubsmash
  • Wink
  • YOLO
  • TikTok
  • And many, many more

Resources for children to use

Below are some links that children themselves can access for help when navigating the tricky subject of online safety,

Reception – Year 2

Below are a number of links that are tailored for children in the younger year groups.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/ 
https://www.netsmartzkids.org/
https://www.childnet.com/resources/smartie-the-penguin

Year 3 – Year 6

Below are links more suitable for older children.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/
https://www.nsteens.org/

Remembrance Day 2024

Crew McGlone have spent time over the last week discussing why it is important for us to think about those people who helped and continue to help to keep our country safe, and thank them for everything they do. We created fork paintings of poppies that Miss McGlone put together into a wreath for our whole school Remembrance Day display.

We then also made our own poppies using apples and carrots to print with inside a laminating pouch. Once they were dry, they were put through the laminator and we have put them on our classroom windows.

Anti-Bullying Week in Crew Godley

This week we have been unpicking what it means to be kind and how we can apply this knowledge when exploring the purpose of anti- bullying week.

The theme of the week has been respect, we’ve watched different clips to showcase different examples of respect and then discussed the video as a crew, creating anchor charts to show what it means to us. We have thought a lot about respectful language and what disrespectful responses would sound like and what respectful responses would look like.

We have created anti-bullying posters to share with our families to show what we have been exploring this week in crew.

In our debrief of the week we thought about why it is important to respect each other, how respect helps us when making friends and solving problems. We concluded that when everyone treats each other with kindness and respect then we have a much more positive time with our peers. This has had an impact on our HoWLs this week and we have seen an improvement in our ‘Be Kind’ HoWL.

We ended the week with ‘pie’ing’ Mr T to raise money for Children In Need. Needless to say, the children had great fun! We’d like to thank all of our parents in school who have contributed to this great cause and we raised a whopping £121! Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

Find a friend who…

On our return from half term, our first crew session was to use the time to get to know others. We had to find someone in our crew who liked swimming or who liked pizza for example. This allowed us to use our speaking and listening skills as we had to ask questions and listen to their responses. We then did a quick hands up at the end to see who else liked a particular thing.

Positive Vibes on a Friday in Crew MI

Today we talked about how a positive attitude is good for our mental health. We talked about what is a happy mind and what a different that can make to our lives. We spoke about what made us happy. We all agreed that when someone else says something positive that then makes the rest of us happy. We worked together to compose a positive statement to share with the crew. We read some some inspirational quotes and decided which one we liked the best- these helped us with our own. We spoke about how some people can struggle with their mental health and how this then can be difficult to feel happy. To help this, we spoke together about what those people could do like talk to a trusted adult.

Crew F2’s ‘Be Kind’ challenge

Last week, Crew F2 worked hard to show that they were a kind crew. We talked about how in Autumn, the leaves fall off the trees and stay on the ground. We decided that we would get our brushes out and clean up some of our outdoor area to make sure that we could see all of our equipment when playing, and to get rid of the rubbish from outside that had blown in off the street. We did a fantastic job sweeping and using the wheelbarrows to collect the leaves!